The scorching sun, the sporadic raindrops—a rare sun shower in the blazing summer. The heat made it particularly uncomfortable, even though she was almost home. Sha Yi still felt a bit restless inside.
However, the thought of having a whole week off soon calmed her down. After all, for someone like her, juggling a full-time job and a part-time gig, working like a mule and exhausting herself like a dog, a break was truly hard-won.
By all accounts, Sha Yi’s family background was quite privileged. Her father ran a sizable company, and her mother was the epitome of a virtuous homemaker. The only catch was that while Sha Yi had inherited her mother’s gentle temperament, she had also inherited her father’s independent and strong-willed nature. To avoid having her love life and marriage dictated by business interests, she moved out shortly after graduation.
Sha Yi was determined to own her own car and apartment within three years. So, on top of her full-time job, she took up modeling. Though the long hours were exhausting, her efforts paid off—she was getting closer to her goal.
Pushing open the door, she was greeted by the hum of the air conditioner. The room was at the perfect temperature, and the mess from when she left had been tidied up. Even her dirty clothes were neatly folded.
Sha Yi’s eyes grew slightly moist. This was undoubtedly her mother’s doing. Worried about her living alone, her mother had asked for her address, made a spare key, and would drop by occasionally to help out.
Glancing at the steaming four dishes and a soup on the table, Sha Yi wiped her eyes and quickly kicked off her shoes to grab fresh clothes.
She planned to soak in the bath for ten minutes before the food got cold, then enjoy a good meal and a beauty sleep.
Once everything was ready, the elegant woman with delicate features placed her towel on the rack and tiptoed to reach the hairdryer on the cabinet. But the moment she turned it on, her foot slipped. In a split second, the hairdryer plunged into the water…
…
Sha Yi woke up choking. Hazily, she felt water gushing into her nose and mouth, the sensation of suffocation overwhelming.
Opening her eyes, she found herself lying in shallow water near the grassy bank. Though the water wasn’t deep enough to submerge her, it lapped intermittently at her face—hence the suffocating feeling. She couldn’t fathom why her head was lower than her feet despite being near the shore.
But… why was she by a shallow riverbank in the first place?
She remembered standing in the bathtub, reaching for the hairdryer on the high shelf. Then, in a careless moment, she had slipped while turning it on and fallen back into the tub filled with water. The moment she hit the water, everything went black—no memory after that.
And now she was inexplicably by some wild, shallow water?
—It sounded absurd, but unfortunately, it was real. She was the unlucky protagonist of this teleportation mishap.
After a brief moment of frustration, Sha Yi let it go. After all, she’d seen plenty of news reports about planes mysteriously disappearing for years before reappearing. Teleportation wasn’t entirely impossible.
Compared to that, the fact that she was still alive was the real miracle. But that didn’t matter now. The most important thing was figuring out where she was and how to get home.
However, as she sat up in the water, Sha Yi was horrified to feel the ground beneath her unusually soft. Without even moving, she could sense her body sinking—this wasn’t just a shallow bank. It was most likely…
The moment the word crossed her mind, her heart sank.
She hadn’t been electrocuted, only to end up buried in a swamp?
As her body slowly sank, panic set in, but she was powerless. A few futile struggles only worsened the situation, forcing her to give up.
What rotten luck! Wasn’t it said that those who survive great calamities are blessed afterward? What kind of blessing was teleporting into a swamp?
Waking up late was bad enough, but why did she have to sit up? Reducing the surface area was practically asking for death!
There was no wind—how could shallow water that didn’t even cover her head suffocate her? It was obviously a swamp. The heavier parts of her body would sink first. What an idiot she was! If she had just stayed lying down or moved faster, she wouldn’t be dying in such an ugly way.
What kind of nonsense was this? She’d have preferred being electrocuted—at least it would’ve been quick!
Within moments, the mud had risen to her neck. Sha Yi was terrified and couldn’t help but scream, “Help…!”
After a dozen desperate cries, just as she was about to be fully submerged, a thick vine suddenly landed beside her cheek with a *plop*. The abruptness of it made her choke mid-scream. She realized the vine had been thrown from behind her.
Before she could think further, a low, rough voice repeated, “Klu klu klu…” (Note: “Klu” means “grab.”) accompanied by the dull thud of stones striking the ground.
It was probably urging her to grab the vine. But her elbows were already mostly submerged in the mud. Trying to use her hands might only make her sink deeper. So, Sha Yi twisted her head and bit down on the vine instead. Muffled, she shouted, “Pull me!”
Almost instantly, she felt a sharp tug on her teeth. Her body was yanked free from the mud, and the sheer force sent her flying onto the higher ground of the bank. The impact knocked the breath out of her. Just how strong was this person?
At 170 cm tall and weighing 60 kg, she wasn’t exactly light. Even a muscular man would struggle to pull her out so effortlessly, let alone from a swamp with all that resistance!
Spitting out the vine, Sha Yi curiously lifted her head to see her rescuer—only to freeze in shock.
What kind of person was this…?
She guessed he was at least two meters tall. His slightly long black hair was wildly disheveled, his facial features obscured by a thick beard, save for a pair of deep-set, brownish eyes. His build was massive—bronzed skin, bulging muscles, a chest covered in thick hair, and a loincloth made of animal hide.
Animal hide… huh?
Sha Yi’s brain short-circuited. Was this… a tribesman?
While she was still gaping, the male tribesman bent down curiously to inspect her. After a moment, he seemed fascinated and even reached out to touch her. But just as she recoiled in alarm, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the woods. The tribesman immediately withdrew his “mischievous” hand, spun around, and leaped off the bank.
Sha Yi exhaled in relief.
Wild animals nearby weren’t exactly ideal for her journey home, but if it saved her from immediate danger, it wasn’t all bad. After all, some tribes were known to eat human flesh—especially outsiders like her.
After a moment’s thought, Sha Yi leaned back against the bank. The swamp ordeal had left her exhausted. But just as she relaxed, the tribesman, who had been retreating, suddenly turned back. Her nerves tensed again. After a long pause, she managed to stammer, “Uh… thank you…”
Clearly, the tribesman didn’t understand her. But he looked anxious, gesturing wildly and babbling something. When she didn’t react, he pointed in a direction and mimed washing himself.
Sha Yi finally grasped his meaning. He was probably telling her there was water where he pointed so she could clean up. Covered in mud as she was, it was a considerate suggestion. She nodded and glanced down at herself.
That was a mistake.
She… wasn’t wearing any clothes. Though the mud mostly obscured her private areas, it didn’t hide the fact that she was naked—and her chest was exposed.
Sha Yi shrieked and instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.
The tribesman seemed puzzled by her reaction. After a pause, he suddenly reached out and touched her face, muttered something unintelligible, then bolted.
Sha Yi was left utterly dumbfounded.
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